Russian President Vladimir Putin met US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, at the Kremlin on Saturday as Washington intensified diplomatic efforts to advance a settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Putin welcomed the envoys and described the situation under discussion as “a difficult one,” while asking them to convey his best wishes and gratitude to Trump. He emphasised that despite facing a difficult situation, Trump continued his efforts to resolve the conflict and contribute to its settlement.

Putin stated that all components and aspects of the conflict would be discussed during the meeting and assured the envoys that Russia was ready to share its perspective.

He noted that Witkoff and Kushner were travelling to Kyiv after Moscow and stressed that contacts of this nature were beneficial.

He underlined the importance of trust in mediation and said Russia found it comfortable to work with the US envoys, highlighting the high level of trust in their engagement.

Witkoff thanked Putin for receiving the delegation and conveyed Trump’s greetings, saying, “President Trump sends you his best wishes.” He also expressed gratitude for Putin’s endorsement of the temporary suspension of strikes in Kyiv and Moscow, which allowed the US delegation to travel safely. Witkoff said, “I want to thank you for endorsing the no-shoot policy in Kyiv and in Moscow for these three days that allowed us to be able to come here in a safe manner.”

Putin confirmed that Russia had received an official request through diplomatic and intelligence channels to stop strikes on Kyiv and that he had issued the order. He said that since midnight on September 5, Russian strikes on Kyiv had ceased.

He added that Ukraine had also significantly reduced strikes on Russian territory, including Moscow, by an order of magnitude. However, he clarified that while Ukrainian authorities had publicly called for a broader three-day truce, Moscow had not agreed to such an arrangement. He stressed that Russia would nevertheless do everything possible to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and the mediators.

The meeting followed Putin’s order for a three-day suspension of strikes on Kyiv beginning at midnight on September 5, announced by Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov as Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow. Peskov explained that the decision was linked to the US delegation’s consultations being prepared in Kyiv.

He said, “Russian President Putin, the supreme commander-in-chief, has ordered a three-day suspension of strikes on Kyiv starting at midnight today. This has to do with the Americans’ consultations that are being prepared and will be held in Kyiv.”

After their Moscow visit, Witkoff and Kushner were scheduled to travel to Kyiv. Trump had confirmed on Friday that the two envoys would visit Moscow and Kyiv as part of Washington’s diplomatic efforts to advance a peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict.

He said, “So I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the two great negotiators. They’ve done a great job. And we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done, and there may be a good chance that we’ll do it.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also announced that Kyiv was ready to observe a temporary ceasefire in airstrikes while the US delegation conducted its consultations. He posted on X, “I have just spoken with the U.S. President’s envoys.

They have already begun working with the Russian side today. From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the cities involved in the negotiation process.”

ANI